· There was an appetite among largely independent and isolated attorneys for learning from experts and from each other.

· QIC lawyers changed their approach to the cases in the direction sought by the intervention - greater contact with the child, increased communications with the other involved in the case, and more actively involved in conflict resolution and negotiation activities.

· This resulted in measurable improvement in case outcomes for at least some children.

o Children represented by QIC treatment attorneys in Washington State were 40% more likely to experience permanency within six months of placement.

Profile of child representatives

· Child representation practice constituted less than 20 percent of legal work and income for most attorneys.

· In the six months prior to the study, attorneys had represented an average of between six and ten children; however, one-third of the attorneys had represented five or fewer child welfare cases.

· Attorneys were generally experienced, with an average of 13.5 years of practice and were practicing in a number of different fields of law, including divorce and paternity, private adoption, truancy, and juvenile justice.

· Almost two-thirds of the attorneys found their job as child representatives rewarding, and most thought they had a significant impact on child outcomes.

· A majority thought compensation was somewhat or very inadequate.

· Two-thirds of the attorneys did not have psychologists or psychiatrists with whom they could consult.

Activities of child representatives

· Attorney activity is the greatest at the start of a child’s out of home placement. Activity declines until a child has been in care over a year and then begins to rise again.

· Child age is positively associated with the frequency of contact between attorneys and their child clients. For example, the estimated rate of contact with a 13-year-old adolescent would be almost 45 percent higher than the estimated rate of contact with a 3-year-old toddler.